Shattered Foundation
by cgaussie01
Summary: Bernard witnesses the defeat, and death, of Metro Man with the rest of the city who showed up for Metro Man Day. Just how does this affect the archivist?


Another day, another attack upon the city from Megamind.

It had been this way for so long, things almost seemed bizarre and strange when the blue man in tight leather was launching some kind of harebrained scheme upon Metro City. If anything, Bernard had been anticipating something like this. It had been such an important day for Metro Man, for the city itself, why would he miss out on the opportunity to come down upon it like a spoiled brat stamping on a line of ants marching across his path?

So there he was, amongst the crowd. It was a testament to just what he felt towards the city's white clad hero, and his black dressed arch nemesis, since Bernard normally hated large gatherings and this was one of the largest gatherings the city had ever seen. All around him people were shouting and cheering, waving hand made signs and screaming madly as the man in white flew around the crowd, soaking in the atmosphere. Bernard was jostled and pushed around by the sea of humanity, and he seriously contemplated accidentally standing on the foot of the man behind him who just kept bumping into him again and again, no matter how many times he told him to back off.

He had watched the game unfold before him, and had covered his ears when the crowd had begun to boo and hiss at the projected image of Megamind. Yes, just another day... and there was Roxanne, kidnapped as usual, and of course as usual she looked bored. Bernard had actually ran into the woman a few times, since he was an expert on Megamind and Metro Man it made sense for her to research and being a nosey reporter she had of course sniffed him out and had gotten some key facts from him. She was nice enough, but not really his type at all. She even got his name wrong on a few occasions, calling him Barry, Benny, and even Billy.

Forgetful, for a reporter, he thought. Then again she no doubt had a lot on her mind, what with being the pawn that Megamind always seemed to call upon to try and lure Metro Man into a trap of some sort. Just like it was today.

"There he goes..." he mumbled as he watched Metro Man fly upwards and away from the crowd, on his way to the abandoned observatory on the hillside on the other side of the city. Bernard's gaze went back to the two projected images on the Metro Man Museum, his new place of work. He had to admit, he was a little excited about starting work there. They had purposely sought him out because of his knowledge on the extraterrestrials, making the fact that his new work place would be in such an important location almost... made him feel important.

Which was a rarity since Bernard was such a wall flower in real life. He was quite content to step back and blend in with his surroundings and watch people walk around him, talk, and laugh; enjoying themselves. Unsurprisingly he was a fairly lonely individual, but that's just the way he liked it. Time with himself, and his thoughts, was sometimes the better times of his day compared to being surrounded by people. Like now.

"Oh man this is gonna be sweet," said the man besides him. "Wonder what Megamind has cooked up this time!"

"Probably nothing." Bernard replied dryly. "Looking at what was behind him, he doesn't appear to have anything really planned at all and going with his record, whilst this is following his formula of blowing everything out of proportion and presentation, I don't really think he's thought it all through at all. He's just causing trouble for troubles sake, like a kid who doesn't get enough attention."

"Doesn't get enough attention?" asked the woman to his left who was holding her baby in her arms. "I think he gets enough attention!"

"Well. Positive attention." Bernard countered, to which the woman snorted.

"What's he ever done to deserve positive attention?" she asked.

"Entertaining us?" Bernard asked but her retort was cut short since Megamind was announcing something about the full, concentrated power of the sun. The whole crowd went silent, tongues held, as well as breaths, as they waited for the blast to strike. When it didn't, one could almost hear a penny drop somewhere in the back of the crowd before people began to quietly whisper to one another.

"Yep. Just like I said." mumbled the man as he adjusted his glasses before realizing there was a smudge on one of the lens. He lowered it and rubbed at it with his t-shirt. "Not planned ahead at all. You'd think after all these years of defeating Metro Man he would learn to accept the guy either has no weaknesses, or has actually discovered what it is and plans to kill him. That'd be ironic, if he died on the day of his museum-"

But Bernard's words were blasted out of his mouth by the deafening explosion and blinding light that enveloped the observatory. The crowd even felt the ground quake in reaction, and it almost felt like an earthquake. People screamed and ducked, huddling together in a panic. Bernard felt his foot being trodden on a few times and yelped in pain before thinking unhappy thoughts about punching the people who hurt him somewhere vital. Dust was still falling from the explosion as the image on the screen showed the soot covered Megamind suddenly scream, since it was obvious Metro Man was flying in to get him.

There was a cheer from the crowd as they saw a white... something or other, knock Megamind out of screen entirely but what followed only followed to confuse the masses. The voices of Megamind was that of panic.

"Oh god oh god oh god!" he was saying, and suddenly reappeared. The camera was focused on him, and the alien looked absolutely shocked. His green eyes were wide, and a hand to his chest, as he stood besides Minion.

"You... You did it, Sir." Minion finally said, breaking the silence.

"I did it?" Megamind asked.

"He did it." mumbled the Mayor from his podium.

"I did it!" Megamind said again, only now no longer a question but a statement.

"He did it?" asked a few people around Bernard, and soon the screen was over come with Megamind screaming in absolute joy like a kid on Christmas. He was running in and out of frame, shaking his hands like a teenage girl who just found a sale on everything she ever wanted.

The crowd broke into a panic. Metro Man was dead. Megamind had won. Bernard managed to run up onto the steps of the museum as the people, en mass, began to run. Where would it be safe? Megamind was renown for having things hidden away everywhere. He had robots at his command, lasers, and that Death Ray itself could easily move through the city destroying building after building if he wanted to. Bernard covered his ears to try and block out the screaming as he continued to walk, until finally finding a door and shakily pushed it open. He was in the confines of the Metro Man Museum, still with its new building smell. He could smell the paint and plaster still settling, and he glanced around at the interior he had walked in on.

"He's... gone?" he asked no one, his low voice echoing in the vastness of the room. It was so empty. So lifeless. This wasn't how today was supposed to have gone at all. Metro Man would have stayed signing signatures, hundreds at a second, for his loving fans before no doubt going on at length about his many altercations with the evil villain who was now in charge of everything. Bernard could feel his heart racing within his chest, and a hot, warm feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Oh God." he spluttered, covering his mouth as if fearing his emotions would come flowing out from his mouth. Luckily they didn't, but he did continue to make his way through the bottom floor of the museum.

He passed the statue of Megamind being punched in the face by Metro Man, and stopped to stare up at it.

This couldn't be happening. Megamind was many, many things. He was over dramatic, needy, annoying, a thorn in many people's sides, but had he ever been a murderer? Megamind had never... _never_ killed anyone before. He had caused millions in property damage over the years, and had certainly inconvenienced most people (Roxanne Ritchi especially) but he had never spilt blood. He had never blasted a person with a Death Ray so powerfully that their skin, muscles, and organs were blasted away leaving only a skeleton.

"Copper. Really?" he asked the statue of Metro Man, gripping at the velvet rung that kept people from getting too close. "H... how could copper be your weakness? How on Earth did you carry change?" Bernard asked, hearing his voice begin to shake. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" now he sounded angry, and he felt it. "If you knew the dome was made of copper why would you go flying in there? For her? For that stupid woman who thinks she's the centre of it all? She doesn't deserve you, she never _did_!" he screamed at the statue, wanting to pick up something and throw it at the statue but knew there was nothing near by to fill the void.

Why? Why, why, why?

Bernard stumbled from the room and found the elevator, and hit the 45th floor button. Slowly the elevator took him up, and he watched as the statue of Metro Man continued to slowly rotate. That cheesy elevator music only further went to get on Bernard's nerves, and once the doors opened he ran out onto the glass bridge that surrounded the statue. He shakily took hold of the walkway, and took a few deep breaths and swallowed some air for good measure.

From here, he could see a little clearer image of the observatory or... what was left of it. The ocean was rippling; he could see it from here, still quaking from the aftermath of the Death Ray. No doubt the businesses set up near the docks would be caked in dust, debris and water. He hoped people were all right, but his main trail of thought went back to Metro Man. How pitiful he had look, lying on the floor of the observatory. His whole body had been shaking... had he been afraid of the pain that he was feeling for the first time? Did he know what had been coming or had he anticipated another last minute escape? He was always so good at those! Why wasn't he good at it now?

Bernard felt a harsh, loud sob retch out from his throat and his knees buckled. He landed on the bridge, and felt his shoulders shake. Why was he crying like this? He hadn't even cried like this at his father's funeral years ago. Bernard was never the type of man to wear his emotions on his sleeve, in fact his emotions were so deeply buried they were probably somewhere near the core of the Earth for all he knew. Yet here it was, surging back to him and crashing upon him like a tidal wave at the beach. It felt like his lungs were on fire, and his eyes watered despite his best efforts to at least keep the tears in check. God, he hated when he cried. His face went all horrible and white with red streaks down his face.

Why couldn't he cry like people in the movies? Single tear, bam, they're done.

But why, why this? Metro Man... he hadn't even spoken to him. He had never uttered a word. Yet Bernard had always been there, off to the side. Silently applauding and cheering for the man of strength and speed who seemed to have no weaknesses at all. That over the top smile, his easy laughter and his dazzling eyes... it had drawn Bernard in, just like the millions of loopy girls who had squealed for him today. He had brought life to their city, had ignited a passion that people needed. They had _needed_ Metro Man just as much as Megamind, to keep things entertaining, to keep it fresh.

And now he was gone, and he wasn't coming back.

Bernard ended up slumped on the circular bridge, body still shaking, as he slid his glasses from his face to cover his eyes with his hands.

"God damn it..." he said quietly, voice hoarse and husky from the exertion of crying. That couldn't be why he felt this way, could it? The reason behind why he was so taken with the man in white? Why he always raced to be somewhere that the knew the caped man to be? It couldn't be that simple, that obvious, why hadn't he seen it before? Why hadn't he spotted the signs, the way his heart would race when Metro Man would talk to the crowd, why it sometimes felt like he was talking to him, and only him? As if Metro Man was doing all of this, facing Megamind again and again, all for his sake, and his alone?

It was cruel and twisted for him to realize this now. He would never have had a chance even if he had realized it sooner. Metro Man and Roxanne Ritchi were the staple couple of the city, he adored her. He called her Roxie. Metro Man always rushed to save her, no matter how dangerous and foolhardy it seemed. Yet she never seemed that happy, or thankful. It was like another day in the park for her, and he wondered just what Metro Man saw in her. He groaned, and pressed his hands to his forehead.

"No, no I don't... I can't..." he fought with himself, unable to admit it. How could he say it out loud, now that it no longer mattered? Metro Man was now gone, dead, defeated. The city, and people, he had worked so hard to protect from the blue super villain were now without his protection. How could they manage without him? Could they? Would they?

Why, just why did he have to realize this now, today of all days? To learn you were in love with a man who didn't even really know you existed, and only saw you as part of the 'greater good' for which he served?

Because life sucks, and then you die.

**End**


End file.
